So many of our young people today struggle to articulate just who they are and that’s no surprise really as it’s not exactly something we teach in school. We rarely are asked to define our identity much deeper than our name and perhaps role in a team, or later business, and so when faced with options and opportunities how do they know what to choose?

Well, the answer to that all too often unfortunately is they have no clue and so are pushed in one direction by parents, pulled in another by teachers, given suggestions by careers advisers and influenced by peers. No wonder they can often in later life find themselves in jobs that put them completely out of flow, they become disillusioned, stressed, miserable and under perform. Know anyone like that?

Robert’s Story

I met a young man like that recently, his name was Robert and he was working in a firm of accountants. It was actually the senior partner of the firm who asked if I could help because if he didn’t get sorted out then he was out!

Robert is a very bright young man, and a little cocky with but he’s young and it’s part of who he is. We began the conversation around his profile as he came out as a Star and he immediately told me that he felt it was all a bit superfluous, there wasn’t really any substance to it was there? And his boss had thought that too (or maybe planted that seed?)

It made me smile when I asked him if he’d actually read the detail of it and he admitted he hadn’t and that’s very typical of a Star, just looking at the overview. So we explored the report in more depth and he resonated with much of it, nodding and agreeing that was so like him and in other things agreeing it was not. Then, after all the agreement he said

“Actually this just makes me more confused. Now I really don’t know who I am at all. It’s made it worse!”

I smile and we go back a few steps in the conversation and add more insight in to his natural gifts and talents and the types of roles that would suit who he is. We go around in circles for a little as he continues to protest and then all of a sudden he stops and looks at me and says….

A Bitter Pill

“This is a bitter pill to swallow. I really do know more about who I am than I have ever admitted to anyone and now I am realizing that the reason that I am struggling in this job, feeling as if no one appreciates me, bored with the data entry and detail is that I’m in the wrong job.

I love the job when I’m able to go out with the boss and meet new clients, or greet them and show them around the office and I get to have some variety in what I do. That’s not very often in this job though and I’m miserable. I was going to go on to train as an accountant but I know I would find it really hard and too much for me. I just wanted to please my dad and my boss. What should I do?

Should I leave?”

Of course that is an option but not the only one. There was no reason why he could not stay with the firm but find another role there that allowed him to shine, interact with people, promote the business and work in a team.

Or, understand why he felt stressed in this job and start to look around for those types of roles in other industries where he would be in flow, build trust in who he is and what he does best and really add value to a business so he can feel appreciated.

Discovering that his thoughts of “I’m not good enough here and nothing I do is ever good enough” was just a case of mistaken identity and that when he does what he is naturally gifted and talented at he will shine, Robert is excited to find that new role and enjoy his career again.

Isn’t Trust one of those woolly, self-help words which doesn’t really mean anything?

Wrong.

I’m going to show you exactly how trust and engagement can produce very tangible results for your business in an exclusive one hour interview with world renowned futurist, social entrepreneur and off the scale “creator” profile, Roger James Hamilton.

The call will take place on Wednesday 16th July at 17.30 BST so pop that in your schedule planner now.

It’s trust that enabled Roger James Hamilton to produce the following very tangible results:

The trust he has with his database in the quality of his work meant he had advance sales of over 5000 copies before his book was even launched!

The trust world leaders have in his brand means he’s created partnerships with some of the best connected people in the US, like Jack Canfield, the bestselling author of Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Janet and Chris Attwood from the Passion Test, and Mari Smith, the world’s leading Social Media strategist as well as many others

The trust he has with his team means they often work virtually, all sharing the same visions and goals and all consistently exceeding their targets

The trust people have built in his ability to create means he has over 1000 people a day taking his genius test every day and then he tells them to go get other people to sign up too!

The trust his clients have in him to deliver consistently high value material means his email open and click-through rates are 50% and above – way way higher than the industry average…

So if you’ve been questioning how trust can actually affect your bottom-line and real-world results, think again!

On a more personal note, I’ve been working with Roger for over 7 years and he’s the number one person I turn to for sustainable, scalable and yet out of the box mentoring.

And he never fails to deliver.

Roger knows the value of building trust in business, he delivers incredible value and creates amazing Flow. He’s a serially successful multi-millionaire with a great purpose and a very big heart.

In short, a true Change-Maker.

And if you are one of the staggering 250,000 worldwide who have taken either the Talent Dynamics or Wealth Dynamics profile test, then you’ll probably know something about how his creations have impacted your work too.

And that’s why I want to give you the opportunity to ask him any question you want! When you register for the call you will be given the chance to submit a question for him and you never know, yours might just be the one I end up asking him!

Pinning Roger down is like finding a needle in a haystack so this interview is a huge coup for us all. He has this extraordinary schedule, from creating with Richard Branson on Necker Island, to being interviewed by Deepak Chopra and filming an entire documentary about The Wealth Gap and right now he’s in New York for the launch of his new book, The Millionaire Masterplan,

On the call we’re going to look at:

Why Trust is crucial for building a sustainable and scalable business

Why some people and companies seem to find building trust so much harder than others (and how to avoid that being you)

Whether you are an Entrepreneur or a leader in a large organisation, what Roger will be sharing is current and relevant for you and I really do recommend you make sure you are on this call.

I shall look forward to seeing you there!

Michelle

PS. Remember, in this interview I’m going to be asking Roger the real questions you want answers to! So when you register, do also submit your question for Roger and I’ll be taking a look at them and you never know, I might just be asking your question directly!

PPS. On the call, I’m going to be sharing a really extra special opportunity which includes a whole stack of goodies that Roger has promised me I can share with you, so when you register, please put the date and time straight in your diary!

I wanted to give you something extra special today which I think you’re going to love…

The other day I donned my dark glasses and went on a top-secret mission to Chelsea Wharf to interview none other than Sir Bob Geldof!

As you can imagine, it was an enlightening, educational, eye-opening conversation with someone who has a lot of really cool things to say on many subjects.

Specifically, we chatted about Trust in business – something I’m hugely passionate about – and why there has to be a shift from a 20th Century society built on competition, to a 21st Century built on co-operation.

We also talked about why NGO’s are going to have to play a bigger role in the future, the importance of checking your supply chain at every level, and how ONE small error can destroy your trusted brand…

In fact, there’s so much value in this 4-minute video that I do urge you to take 4 minutes out and listen for yourself.

After all, it’s not often you get to hear Sir Bob Geldof giving you business advice!

Well the big news for us this month has been the official announcement that Sir Bob Geldof is to be the keynote speaker for the September 11th Trust Conference. I’m sat on the train back from London, writing this, after meeting with Sir Bob to film a video about the importance of trust, in the run up to the conference! Can’t wait to share that with you in the next few weeks!

A tireless campaigner for human rights and charities around the world, Sir Bob, along with our other expert key speakers this year, are set to share, powerful, practical strategies that each of us can implement both in our work and in our lives. Showing us tried and tested ways to create a more trusted work place, community and world, not just for us here and now but for our children and future generations to live, work and connect in.

Wether you are running a multi million dollar business or you are in start up phase, The Trust Conference is the place to be, to learn how you can propel your business to outperform your competitors by as much as 10 times by growing Trust.

(Oh and if you live too far away to get to London on the day, this year we are also live streaming the event and providing participants with downloadable recordings to watch later)

I interviewed Hollie Delaney last night. Hollie is the Head of People Experiences at Zappos.com. A billion dollar company that Hollie highly attributes to a high culture of Trust, Connection and Happiness. Hollies sharing was generous and insightful about how to create an awesome culture, wether that is from a start up get go situation or an entire corporate cultural shift. Click here to access the recording

With less than 3 months to go now to the 2nd Trust Conference, we already have over 350 business leaders booked to attend. Gold VIP tickets are sold out so please don’t delay if you are planning to attend…

Have a flow filled month ahead!

Michelle

PS. On July 16th at 1730 UK time, I am interviewing my good friend Roger James Hamilton, who is also one of our Trust Conference speakers this year… Roger is a renowned futurist and entrepreneur. His insights into building Trusted organisations and teams are not to be missed, so please diarise the date and look out for the details!

Today I’m super excited to announce that I will be hosting a live online call on Monday 23rd June at 6:00pm (BST) where I’ll be interviewing the incredible Hollie Delaney.

Hollie is the Director of People Experiences at the billion dollar online shoe retailer Zappos.com – a company which has taken the business rule book and ripped it to shreds.

Now I don’t know about you, but it’s not often I get to pick the brains of a billion dollar business owner and get to quiz them on all their top secrets!

And if you had the opportunity to ask her one question, what would it be?

And that’s why I really don’t want you to miss this conversation…

Not only is Hollie an engaging, warm and beautiful individual, she’s going to share some of her top performing strategies on how you too can you achieve phenomenal results.

And by the way, whether you are a business owner, a team leader or you run your own organization, there will be something valuable in this call for you.

During the live call you will discover:

The 3 key values that enabled Zappos to become such a global giant in the market-place

Why they are the first major organization to implement a Holacracy (the opposite of a hierarchy) and what you can learn from this

What key element is central to their business mindset & why this, more than anything else, delivers them world class results

How making Trust as a foundation for your workplace can deliver you exceptional revenue and profits for your business

Sound good to you?

Hollie is right at the heart of creating and nurturing this wonderful new way of working and doing business and quite honestly, she’s one of the most enlightening women I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

So if you want to learn even a fraction of what she can teach you, then I’m sure you’ll agree this is a live event you will definitely not want to miss!

The call will be on Monday 23rd June at 6.00pm (BST)somake sure you register your place right now.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Michelle

PS. When you do register today you’ll be given the opportunity to ask any question you want about Trust – and you never know, this could be the one we answer live on the call!

Shameless use of popular culture segue over, the point of this blog is to pick up where I left off last time with my Delegation Game. I thought it might be useful to show how I am attempting to solve a problem that would take me out of flow very quickly if I’m not careful.

I might have mentioned 🙂 but I’m a Lord. As a raging introvert (extroverts can be raging, why not intorverts?) the ‘people’ side of the Talent Dynamics square is not my strong point.

In fact according to my profile report I have 0% in Blaze energy. I’m reposting the square as proof.

Impressive I know. This really makes it hard for me to delegate but even more so… it makes it hard for me to know who to call. My first instinct is to do the task myself. My second response is to think about training or learning how to do it if I can’t do it at the moment. My third inclination is to park it until I have time to think about it…

… which never happens.

My Solution

Despite being introverted I am known to speak. Sometimes at length. Building on the flowchart that I shared last time I am identifying all the things that need to be done which I can’t do or don’t have time to do.

I’m using a spreadsheet so I’m definitely in my flow here. I’m then matching people who I can talk to who are either already part of my team, have some expertise in the area or show no signs of struggling with this particular item. Then I work down the list (making it a task which comes easily for me) and:

See if someone in the team is interested in helping

Investigating solutions with those with expertise

Asking how others who don’t seem to struggle solved the problem

Now there are still gaps. But whereas before it was a mountain of ‘stuff’ now I have specific things I need help with. During networking or casual business conversations I can talk about these issues and in all likelihood I will either get suggestions OR (best scenario) I will happen across someone who can solve it.

The point of all this is that I now ‘know’ who to call AND have a process to follow to stop delegation tripping me up in future (in theory).

We are thrilled to announce that the our Keynote Speaker for The 2014 Trust Conference is Sir Bob Geldof!

I’m sure you’ll agree that Sir Bob Geldof has a lot to share about trust and the global business environment…

As a tireless campaigner for numerous good causes and charities throughout the world, Sir Bob Geldof is able to use his high profile to great effect. From African famines and aid organisations to business, global politics and communications, Sir Bob has raised awareness of a wide range of causes.

Rising to fame thanks to his music career, which began with The Boomtown Rats in 1975, Sir Bob is known for the hit albums and singles he has recorded – both as part of a band and as a solo artist, and he continues to be a prolific recording artist. During the 1984 famine in Ethiopia, he turned his attention to charity work, organising Band Aid and the fundraising event Live Aid. In light of his charity work, he received a knighthood in 1986.

Through his co-ownership of Planet 24, a television production company that launched The Big Breakfast in 1992, Sir Bob became firmly established as an astute businessman. He also founded Deckchair.com, and online travel agent, in the late 90s, and sold it in June 2003. Following the sale of Planet 24, in 1999 Sir Bob and Alex Connock went on to found Ten Alps Communications. This company produced documentaries for Channel 4, Sky and the BBC, among others.

Sir Bob continues his charity work today, having recently completed a series for the BBC entitled Geldof in Africa, during which he travelled through West, Central and East Africa. He has also written a number of articles for publications including Time magazine.

The Live 8 concerts, undertaken in 2005 and performed in the same spirit as Live Aid 20 years previously, were a huge global fundraising event, and cemented Geldof’s place as a tireless campaigner for global charities. As such, he has received a number of awards, including the Nobel Man of Peace Award, several Honorary Doctorates, and a number of Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
As part of his plans to support Africa and assist in its development, in order to bring it in line with China and India, Sir Bob set up a private equity fund in 2010, called The 8 Mile Fund.

Cold Call

What is it about cold calling and pushy sales that leaves you cold or even makes you angry when you are on the receiving end?

It’s the feeling that you don’t matter to the salesperson, you are just a number, a name on a list to call, that the salesperson doesn’t care about you at all but is just trying to get your money. Am I right?

Trusted People to People selling is not about manipulating or pushing people into buying things they may not need or want.

It’s about connecting with people, getting to know them, understanding them and finding a fit. A much more informative, enjoyable and profitable experience for both parties.

It may seem counter intuitive but actually by putting your client’s needs before your own you are much more likely to make the sale and make it a bigger and longer lasting one too.

So what is involved in putting your client’s needs first?

Understand Them

Understand them, their problems and issues and build rapport in a trusted relationship

A lot of sales people have Star profiles and this is the best profile for attracting others, communicating the message. In their enthusiasm and excitement Stars may get carried away and lead a conversation with their new product.

Instead of this some key questions, putting the spotlight on the prospect, not themselves, would give greater insight into what the client wants first before proposing a solution.

That way the prospect feels listened to, cared about, and will be more open to your suggestions and advice tailored to their own needs, than a general “pitch” about the products that may not have taken their needs into account. In other words, don’t lead with a seller offer but with a buyer need. And you won’t know what that buyer need is until you’ve listened to them and asked them key questions

Create Value

Ask not what you can profit from your client but what value you can bring to your client?

Once you have understood their problems you can decide whether and how you can help them with it and where your value sits with their problem.

This whole process is accelerated when you know their Talent Dynamic profile as you immediately know what is important to them; – Dynamos want to feel significant, Blazes need variety, Tempos want to feel connected and Steels want assurance and security, so you can tailor your response to answer those needs.

Some clients may think they know what they want but by digging deeper to find what the real problem is, and not just taking their order, you will be giving them more value of your expertise and experience and potentially getting a bigger order from it.

I have worked with a lot of Stars who are proud of their sales record. However when they have realised the importance of listening first and putting the client first they have understood the sales they have lost and those orders they took that weren’t renewed.

Build the relationship first, the ongoing trust and value will then ensure you continue to do business for the long term.

Sam is a young man, 20 years old who got a gift of Talent Dynamics for Young People because he was a client for one of our consultants, when she was training. He was invited to come along to the session to receive his debrief in exchange for being her accreditation client.

Sam’s Story

Sam arrived late for the training in his leathers and helmet and slouched himself down in his chair in a mixture of awkwardness, self consciousness and ‘do I really have to be here-ness’ and the debrief began.

During the coaching conversation that followed we discovered that Sam was a Star Profile which was a bit of a surprise to the observers as Stars are high energy, love to be in the spot light, are engaging and influential – they’re party people. That was definitely not the Sam in the room that we saw and yet, he did agree with everything his profile said he was.

Puzzling. Or was it?

Sam worked in a warehouse where he spent his day picking orders for customers all by himself. He was actually in danger of losing his job as he was frequently late for work, not rushing to get to a job he was miserable doing. When asked why he did that job he told us that it was a job and he needed the money.

His aspiration was that if he was able to keep his job one day he might like to be a manager, not because he wanted to stay but because that would be more money.

So curious now, the consultant asked “So what is the money for?” It was as if someone had suddenly switched Sam on! Her sat up tall in his seat for the first time, put a big grin on his face and excitedly said:

“It’s for a new motorbike. I love motorbikes, they are my life! I know exactly how much I need to save and the exact date I’ll have enough to buy my dream bike!”

The difference in that young man in that moment was like night and day!

Night and Day

Suddenly there was the Star!

Alive, alert and engaging. The Sam we’d seen was simply a Sam out of Flow and here he was suddenly shining. Now, Stars make great promoters and sales people so the consultant asked him what it would be like to go to work everyday and do nothing but talk about motorbikes.

Imagine, everyday you would be surrounded by them and share your passion with others who appreciated your knowledge and enthusiasm! He could combine his dream and his job and become a motorbike salesman – how awesome would that be? Sam could hardly breathe at the thought! He had never considered that the two could combine let alone be something that he was naturally gifted and talented at.

That slumped in a chair Sam was a different man and practically bounced out of the room like a ‘Tigger’ with a new vision of what life could be for him.

I LOVE the power of Talent Dynamics for Young People and the rapid transformation it can bring!

We have finalised the translation of the Talent Dynamics Profile Test and report into Norwegian, which has just launched this month in Norway.

Huge thanks to Performance Consultants Victoria Aase and Ingunn Aursnes from Norway, who have handled the translations and the launch of Talent Dynamics there. If you have a company based in Norway, or are a Trainer/consultant in Norway, please do connect directly with Victoria and Ingunn for more information.